Method for producing a service profile based on user&#39;s choice for an extension in a telecommunications network

ABSTRACT

A procedure for creating a service profile dependent on user selection for a subscription in a telecommunication network. The invention makes it possible to use a single subscription in a telecommunication network with several different subscriber numbers, each number being associated with an optional user-selected service profile.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a procedure for creating a serviceprofile, dependent on the user's selection, for a subscription in atelecommunication network. The invention makes it possible to useseveral optional telephone numbers to utilize or access atelecommunication network subscription, each number being associatedwith an optional service profile dependent on the user's selection.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the prior art, call setup in a telecommunications network is usuallybased on a number selection made by the calling subscriber. In otherwords, the calling subscriber selects via his/her terminal an address,i.e. the number of the called subscription, on the basis of which theswitching and exchange system connects the calling subscriber's terminalor system to the called subscriber.

Previously, also known is also a terminal-dependent and/ornetwork-dependent “dual numbering” solution used in the DCS system(Digital Cellular System). In this case, the DCS telephone has twonumbers and the user can select which one of them is to be active. Whenreceiving a call on such a telephone, the user can see which one of thelines is being used. A problem with this solution is that it isdependent on the terminal and/or network, i.e. it can only be utilizedby using DCS terminals. Moreover, to implement this solution, changesare required in the mobile communication switching center.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to reduce the problems describedabove and to produce a new procedure for creating a user selectableservice profile for a telecommunication network subscription, aprocedure that is independent of the telecommunication network and/orterminal.

In the procedure of the invention, a subscription in thetelecommunication network is given or assigned several subscribernumbers, i.e. an optional number of subscriber numbers. When differentsubscriber numbers are, provided for use by a subscriber, the A-ID usedin call signaling, i.e. the A-number or the caller's telephone numberthat is displayed to the called subscriber at the receiving end, will bedifferent for each call, depending on the calling user's selection.

Thus, the user of a subscription can selectively decide for each callwhich subscriber identity, i.e., which available A-ID, is to be sent tothe receiver and/or charged. Correspondingly, when calls are made tothese different subscriber numbers, the receiving caller's A-ID will bedisplayed differently depending on which one of the available subscribernumbers is being called.

For the various available or assigned subscriber numbers of asubscription, i.e. the multiple subscriber identities associated with aparticular subscription, different associated service profiles can becreated. The services bound to each or a particular one of the optionalsubscriber identities may include, e.g., a “call screening” function,different invoicing, so-called permanent-number service, suppression ofthe calling number, and so on.

The procedure of the invention allows the user to be assigned anoptional number of subscriber numbers, each associated with an optionalservice profile determined or defined by user selection. To make a callvia a subscription according to the invention, the user will normallydial either a mere B-number, i.e. the desired receiver number, and/or agiven identifier before the B-number. In the latter case, the systemautomatically changes the A-ID to be sent, in accordance with ordependent on the identifier disclosed or entered by the user. In theincoming direction, the system changes the A-ID by adding before it thesame identifier that is used when making an outgoing call using thetelephone number concerned. When, the other hand, a call is made to aphysical number, the call will be given no special treatment but thenumber is displayed directly as such.

The present invention provides the advantage that the procedure can beemployed without regard to the particular telephone system and/orterminal. It is only required that the terminal have a display fordisplaying the caller's number and/or that it permits the entry ofabove-decadal characters. The network is required to provide signalingsupport for transmission of the caller's number. In practice, the A-IDis currently always included or signaled in mobile communications and inwired networks when the subscription is digital. In the near future, anew service accommodating calling-number display will be introduced inthe NMT-900 (Nordic Mobile Telephone) network as well.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description considered in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that thedrawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as adefinition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should bemade to the appended claims. It should be further understood that thedrawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwiseindicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate thestructures and procedures described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 presents an example of the procedure of making and/or receiving acall with an alternative subscriber number;

FIG. 2 presents an example of the procedure of making and/or receiving acall with a physical subscriber number;

FIG. 3 presents a signaling diagram illustrating the way that a call ismade and/or received with an alternative subscriber number in anembodiment of the invention utilizing an intelligent network; and

FIG. 4 presents an example of implementing an intelligent network thatcan be utilized in an embodiment of the procedure of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The examples of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a service comprising only twosubscriber numbers, to a subscription, but the service may comprise anyoptional number of assigned or available subscriber numbers, which onlyhave to be distinguished using different identifiers. In FIG. 1, callsare made and/or received using the subscriber's alternative subscribernumber. The identifier or asterisk * in FIG. 1 represents an identifierthat is fed or entered into the telephone and detected when calls arereceived. This identifier may be any kind of symbol, depending on thecapabilities of the associated telephone exchange. It may be, forexample, an optional row of figures and/or may contain above-decadalcharacters, such as an asterisk, square, etc.

FIG. 3 shows a signaling diagram representing the way in which a call ismade and/or received using an alternative subscriber number in anembodiment of the invention utilizing an intelligent network. In apreferred embodiment of the procedure of the invention, existing networkelements and/or a register and control unit, such, for example, as anintelligent network register, are utilized in a new way. In theintelligent network, a separate database register is provided for eachA-subscription, and in which the alternative subscriber numbers for theparticular subscription are stored. As shown in FIG. 3, when the usermakes and/or receives a call using an alternative subscriber number,control of the call is handed over to the intelligent network, theinformation in the intelligent network database is modified, and the newidentity is included in the signaling in the telephone network.

The system of the invention comprises a call connection and controlcomponent, a database component and a service management system. In apreferred embodiment, these are network elements consistent with theintelligent network architecture IN: SSP (Service Switching Point), SCP(Service Control Point), SDP (Service Data Point, intelligent networkdatabase) and SMS (Service Management System). They need not be separatedevices but can be integrated with each other, depending on theimplementation of the intelligent network. An IP (IntelligentPeripheral) may be connected to the SSP and/or MSC (Mobile SwitchingCenter). The SDP may be implemented or included in the SCP. In oneembodiment, the SCP may comprise a SDF (Service Data Function) and/or aDB (Database). A more comprehensive idea of intelligent networks can beobtained from ITUT recommendations Q.121X or Bellcoren AINrecommendations, which are incorporated by reference herein.

In addition, the system is connected to public telecommunicationnetworks, such as the PSTN (Public Switched Telecommunications Network)and/or mobile communications networks (MCN), which comprise telephoneexchanges such, for example, as GSM (Global System for MobileCommunications) and/or PSTN PTX (Public Telephone Exchange) exchanges,to which the subscribers are connected. Calls are connected to the SSPof the service according to selection, based on an analysis of thecalled subscriber number. When a call is made by entering an optionalidentifier before the telephone number, i.e. before thecalled-subscriber number, the telephone exchange will automaticallyroute all calls made with that identifier to the switching pointregardless of the telephone number.

The service switching point and the subscriber's telephone exchange mayphysically belong to the same system. In one embodiment, the MSC may beprovided with intelligent network SSP functions.

The decisions regarding the routing of calls may also be made using asubscriber-specific ICK (IN Category Key), in which case only callsdialed with a certain identifier by subscribers who have joined theservice, as opposed to all calls dialed with that identifier, will berouted to the IN switching point of the service.

In a preferred embodiment of the procedure of the invention, a user of asubscriber line in the telecommunications network can be assigneddifferent numbers and/or service profiles, as, by way of example, forduty calls and for private calls. For example, the invention allowseasier monitoring of the billing of calls made by an employee from acompany-owned mobile telephone, because the user of the subscription canmake off-duty or non-employer-related calls using an alternative numberof the same subscription. If necessary, the alternative numbers of asubscription can be associated with different service profiles than thephysical subscriber number so that, for instance, a given alternativenumber is associated with particular services such as inhibition ofcertain calls, suppression of calling number, special rates and similaroptional services.

Thus, by making a selection, i.e. by entering a given identifier beforethe so-called subscriber-number, the user is able to achieve orassociate the call with an optional service profile and/or to useseveral different subscriber numbers with the same telecommunicationnetwork subscription, i.e. with the same SIM (Subscriber IdentityModule) and/or telecommunication network terminal.

On the other hand when receiving calls, the user of a subscription cansee from the new type of number display which one of the subscriptionnumbers is receiving the call, i.e. whether it is a duty (e.g.employment-related) call or a private (personal) call. If the number ofthe incoming call is not preceded by an identifier for an optionalnumber, then the call will be connected to the normal physicalsubscriber number, in which case the number of the incoming call isdisplayed as such.

In FIGS. 1 and 2: the asterisk * represents an identifier, i.e. it isnot a code to be used.

In FIG. 3:

NETWORK ELEMENTS

MS (Mobile Station) means telephone subscription (e.g. mobiletelephone).

MSC (Mobile Switching Center) means the caller's telephone exchange(e.g. GSM switching center).

SSP/SCP (Service Switching Point/Service Control Point) means a unit forthe switching and control of services (e.g. intelligent networkstructure).

SDP (Service Data Point) means the database used by the service (e.g.intelligent network structure).

MESSAGES

Initial Address message initiates call from telephone.

Getting New Calling Number message is a request to return a new callingnumber by giving the old A-ID and an identifier.

New Aid message returns an alternative calling number for thesubscriber.

Getting New Called Number message is a request to return thesubscriber's physical subscriber number for the routing of the call tothe telephone (old called number as input data).

New Called Number message returns the physical subscriber number to thesubscription.

IAI means Initial Address with additional Information (TUP).

ANU, ANswer-Unqualified is a message indicating that the calledsubscriber is answering (TUP).

CLF, CLear Forward is a call setdown message (TUP).

=> Disconnection of the call is detected when the SSP receives a CLFmessage in accordance with TUP.

CLF means Clear Forward, i.e. a message sent when the call isdisconnected.

In FIG. 4:

telecommunication network signaling

voice and/or signaling

Control and/or operation signaling

Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodimentsthereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutionsand changes in the form and details of the methods described and devicesillustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, itis expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/ormethod steps which perform substantially the same function insubstantially the same way to achieve the same results are within thescope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized thatstructures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described inconnection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may beincorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form orembodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention,therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

I claim:
 1. Method for creating a service profile dependent on userselection for a subscription in a telecommunication network, comprisingthe steps of: creating a subscription-specific database (SDP) in thetelecommunication network, in which database is stored an optionalnumber multiplicity of a calling subscriber's numbers, each associatedwith an optional service profile of the calling subscriber, anddirecting a call to a service switching/control point (SSP/SCP) after acall number analysis of the subscription concerned has been performed inthe telecommunication network exchange (MSC, PTX); fetching, foroutgoing calls, a new calling subscriber's number from the database(SDP), to be used as an equivalent for the old physical callingsubscriber's number, and/or for an identifier associated with anoptional subscriber number and entered by the user of the subscription,and activating the new calling subscriber's number for the subscriptionand including it in the signaling in the telecommunication network,whereby the system automatically changes the calling subscriber's numberto be sent, in accordance with the identifier selected by the user, whenreceiving calls addressed to an alternative subscriber number, fetchinga physical called-subscriber subscriber number corresponding to the oldcalled-subscriber number from the database (SDP), connecting the callbased on the physical called-subscriber subscriber number, and modifyingthe calling subscriber's number by adding in front of it the sameidentifier that is used when making calls with the optional subscribernumber in question.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thetelecommunication network is an intelligent network.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the optional service profiles associated with each ofthe optional numbers define different service characteristics for eachof the optional numbers.